A Kings Past
by M K Stern
Summary: What makes Jareth the way he is? What is he thinking? What motivates him? A look into the possible past of our favorite Goblin King.


**Author's Note:** I started this story a long time ago in an attempt to understand the mysterious king of the Labyrinth. It turned out to be a good deal longer than I thought it would be. I have a lot more written, though it's not yet finished. Let's veiw this as a test chapter. If people are interested in this story, I would like to know. It would give me a more pressing reason to pick it up again.

Chapter 1:The Lonely King

He was the first child wished away and that was why he was the king. When the mother shouted in exasperation for someone to take him, a passing bit of magic (for in those days so near the beginning of the world, magic was common and blown here and there on the wind) caught her voice and took its shape in her wish. Nobody knows for sure if she ever regretted her rash words. Most think she didn't, for if she had the magic might have been taken back, or not been quite as long lasting. Whether she truly wanted him gone or not, he was whisked away in a gust of air and never seen by her again.

The magic which spirited him away was very strong. It changed him into something that could take that heedless wish much further than it should have gone. It created a kingdom for him, gave him powers, and forged a connection to the other world through dreams. As long as men inhabited the earth, he and his world would exist: a figure in the shadows of the minds of men.

His was not the only magically created world. There were many, connected to the real one through various things. His might have been the first one. No one knew. It was a long time before the other shadows became aware of him and he of them.

But it was many centuries before he found the others, and for that time he was alone. Oh, his world was wondrous. It was a mystery that could never been fathomed, a land of possibilities. But he was the only one in it. There was no one to share his joy in the puzzle that was his domain. There was no one to help him discover the riddle of who he was and what he was there for.

He was also aware that he was alone. How could he not be? His world was part of human dreams, and thus he was in the minds of every man and woman, girl and boy, in the world. He could see reality in every crystal he conjured, he could smell it in the breezes, taste it in the air, but he could not fully touch it.

He began to hunger after the real world. He watched it with fascination, seeing the people react to each other, talk to each other, love each other. He learned speech and writing, and longed to try them out on another person. But try as he might, he could not reach the people which he longed for so. He did not want to live with them, he loved his place too much, but he wanted to share it with them. He wanted to explore with someone, give names to what they found. He wanted to discuss ideas, to talk of dreams, to learn together, to play together, even to fight and argue together.

You might think that he simply should have thrown away his desire for company and turned to his world. But you must remember he was once human and though the magic had changed him, he still had a lingering bit of that humanity, which gave him a hunger for human things. He had emotions. He had love and hatred, happiness and sorrow. But there was no one to share them with. He grew all the more alone and obsessive and his kingdom grew dark and gloomy to reflect him. And somewhere the minds and hearts of humans heard him, and loneliness came to be.

And then, one day while he was still a young boy (though he was centuries old, for he grew slowly as his life was very long), his wish was granted.

He was brooding in the empty castle he had created for himself (because he had seen it in the real world and decided that since he ruled his world, he was its king and he should have a castle) when a voice seemed to echo through the fabric of his domain and his heart.

"_I wish someone would come and take you away right now."_

It was the voice of a young woman, high and plaintive, and it sounded so exasperated and hurt that one would think that the world had decided to hate her.

Suddenly, he found himself in a darkened room in a dirty hut, staring at a screaming baby. Somehow he knew that this child was his for the taking. Here was the companion that he had longed for so and yet he balked just a bit, feeling guilty at taking it from those who might love it.

The mother was surprised when her child stopped screaming so abruptly, but she welcomed the change. She was very young, and the baby was an accident for her, the product of a careless romance. She saw it only as another burden placed on her by the unfair world, and would gladly sell it if she thought it would do her any good. The only reason it was still alive was that she balked at the thought of killing anything.

When the baby was quiet for over an hour, she went in to check on it. She was perplexed to find the cradle empty.

"Do you want him back?" A voice came from behind her, questioning. She spun around to find what looked like a young boy, pale and boney, staring up at her from the shadows. He wore clothing faintly reminiscent of someone well off, and in his hands she saw the bundle that was her child sleeping peacefully. She could not speak from shock.

"Do you want him back?" The boy (was it a boy? There was something not quite human about his air and manner) asked again. The question stared up at her through his piercing mismatched eyes, and he held out the bundle in his arms, waiting for her answer.

"What…?" She finally stuttered. "What is going on?"

"You wished him away," the boy stated calmly. "That means I can take him. I'm asking you if you want him back."

She tried to get her mind around this strange circumstance. "Who are you?" She asked after a moment.

The boy was seemed oddly struck with this question. "Who am I?" he mused wonderingly. "I don't know really. I'm myself. I'm a king who rules an empty kingdom, a child too old to be a child. I am the one outside. I am the only one in the world. I am watching, but never seen."

The woman shook her head in confusion at these strange statements. "Do you have a name?"

"A name?" He frowned. "I don't know. No one has been around to give me one, and I never gave myself one." He cocked his head, thinking. "I might want to have one now I guess, since I'm talking to people." He frowned again for a moment. "You can call me… Jareth." He smiled, seemingly pleased with that. "I like the sound of it. I think I'll keep it."

"That's your name?"

"It is now," the boy, Jareth, grinned at her and the woman caught a glimpse of tiny fangs in the young mouth. She drew back reflexively.

"Well, do you want him back or not?" Jareth asked again.

She looked nervously at the strange boy. "You want him?" she asked.

"Yes," Jareth glanced fondly at the sleeping baby, who stirred faintly. Jareth raised a finger and brushed it lightly across the tiny face and smiled again.

"You…" the woman started tentatively, the fangs still fresh in her mind. "You're not going to eat him or anything, are you?"

Jareth looked up sharply. "Why would I do that?" He asked, frowning. "I can eat anything I like in my world. I want a friend, not a meal."

Any obligation the woman might have felt towards the child vanished at this assurance of its safety. "Then," she said. "If you really want it then take it." Her voice grew stronger, and angry. "It's been nothing but a burden to me anyways," she began to complain. "I never wanted it. If that man…" She trailed off in her tirade. The boy and the baby had vanished.

...

Jareth (as he had decided to now call himself) was delighted. Finally, someone to talk to. Someone to share his world with, to play with, to romp with. He knew it would take a little while for the boy to grow up, but when he did, oh the fun they would have. Eagerly, he set about creating a place for his new friend. He was just bringing the child up to his room when he realized that he didn't know its name. He stopped, puzzled, and looked at it. The baby, now away, looked innocently back at him.

"Since I have a name now," Jareth said. "You're going to need one to. Let's think." He sat down on the stairs of his castle. "What should you be called?"

The baby smiled at him angelically. "Gwallne," it burbled.

Jareth laughed. "No, that won't do at all. But you might be going in the right direction. Let's see…" He mused to himself. "Gwallne… Gwall… Galn… Gwaln… Gwalnz… Yes, that sounds a little better." He looked down and the wriggling child again. "How about Gwalnz?"

The baby clapped its hands and tried to grab at Jareth's fair hair.

Jareth was patient. He had waited this long for a friend; he could wait a little longer. He knew that it would take a while to Gwalnz to grow. He was happy just to no longer be the only creature in his domain.

Gwalnz did grow, but not fast. He also did not grow human. Jareth was surprised to see his ears grow long, he fingers grow claws, and his teeth grow sharp. He was even more surprised as Gwalnz began to grow green and hairy. But this did not really matter to him. Gwalnz could talk, and though he wasn't quite as intelligent as Jareth, he was still someone who Jareth could share things with.

And share things they did. As soon as Gwalnz was ready, Jareth began to show him around the kingdom. Together, they explored the place. They named things, they made things, they learned and they talked, or Jareth talked. Gwalnz was a great listener. Jareth loved his friend very much. Sometimes they argued, but not much and they always make up after. They were each others world.

And then, the second call came to Jareth. It was a long time after Gwalnz had come, and Jareth had nearly forgotten how his friend had gotten there, but as soon as he heard the voice, he knew what it meant.

"Gwalnz," Jareth stared unseeingly as the voice passed. "We may soon have a new friend."

Gwalnz looked at Jareth puzzled. Jareth smiled. "Come, I'll show you."

Jareth and Gwalnz appeared next to the child in the hay. The child's father, who had been the one to wish it gone, jumped in fright at the strange duo.

"Do you want us to take it?" Jareth asked, motioning to the child.

The man did not hesitate. "Yes. It's nothing but a bother, and since its mother's dead, nobody wants it."

Jareth picked up the child (whom Jareth would name Urten) delightedly and he and Gwalnz vanished.

...

Benituni soon followed Urten, then Gruntel and Spettune (twins). After that, Jareth stopped even asking if the wisher really meant that they wanted the child gone. They always answered yes. Jareth just came and took them.

Jareth had just returned with the thirteenth child. The castle was beginning to look a little ramshackle, but that was fine by Jareth as it meant that it was being lived in. He watched as Urten and Gruntel chased each other around the room, smiling as he gently rocked the newest addition to their home (who he was thinking of calling Teptimi). Suddenly, a voice cried out through the world.

"_NO! I didn't mean it!"_


End file.
